The present invention relates to a wheel enclosure and, more particularly, to a molded wheel cover for a spare tire.
There are many types of wheel enclosures. The most common is the enclosure in the trunk of an automobile, where part of the trunk has been shaped to the contour of the wheel and is recessed below the level of the rest of the trunk in which the wheel is placed. A wheel enclosure more in line with the subject of the invention herein, is the external wheel enclosure which mounts typically on the exterior of a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle being either a car, truck or recreational vehicle. Typically, a wheel enclosure of the sort contemplated in the invention, can be found on vehicles such as a four-wheel drive recreation vehicle, where the wheel, tire and wheel rim, are mounted to a bracket on the exterior of the vehicle. The wheel is then typically covered with a canvas or plastic shroud to protect the wheel from the environment. Unfortunately, these type of shrouds tend to wear and tear and do not adequately protect the wheel from the elements. There have been attempts to design more weather-impervious covers, but these designs have inherent difficulty with the removal and insertion of the wheel. The invention herein obviates the above disadvantages of the canvas or plastic shroud and other prior art containers.